Health System Privacy Analysis

Health Systems Privacy As health information is transferring from paper to electronic records, so is the need for protecting this highly sensitive information. Unauthorized access can create fear and distrust, which is very damaging to health care organization. The laws and regulations set forth to protect privacy are in place, but require enforcement and adaption as technology changes. The technological trends for protecting the storage and transference of health information are changing to meet the requirements of the system. New ethical issues arise as we try to balance the best interests of the individual versus the public good. Suggestions have been made on how to build trust and include the patient as a component for improving personal …show more content…
AlHamad, Omari and AlHamad (2014) emphasize the importance of understanding and influencing patients’ attitudes and perceptions. They recognize the patients as being a major component of the system and failing to understand their needs will limit the success and quality of these systems. Establishing trust between all parties, especially patients, is essential for perceiving value of health information systems. A questionnaire of 15 questions were handed out to 40 people to explore the privacy concerns of patients in regard to medical records and data disclosure. In effort to minimize the patients’ privacy concerns and protect personal data, the following procedures have been recommended. 1)There should be strict guidelines on how personal information is disclosed. They should not be given orally or in writing to any unauthorized personnel. 2) Patients should be informed of all of the conditions and purposes under which their personal information could be given before they provide anything sensitive. 3) Network privacy and security should be provided at a high level from the healthcare organization. 4) Multiple methods of securing the network should be used. 5) Private information should be removed from the site if at risk, but for the shortest amount of time required. 6) Patients should be aware that deleting cookies may make the entirety of the healthcare website inaccessible. 7) Security measures and policies should be made to established a protocol in how long data will be kept and how it will be deleted. 8) Identifying technological tools which can be useful in patients’ data privacy, such as tracking technology. 9) Work to increase trust between patients, the primary care provider, and the third parties